Processor & RAM upgrades

I currently have a July 2010 27inch iMac core i3 3.2Ghz with 8 GB RAM. I have 4 2GB chips installed, my first question is, can I remove 2 of the 4 RAM sticks and replace them with 2 4GB RAM sticks purchased from OWC. Hence I will have 12GB of RAM rather than 8. Will it all work together? I am open to any other suggestions.

Secondly, I am interested in purchasing a core i5 or i7 from amazon that was released the same year as my iMac (the serial numbers match), is it possible to upgrade my iMac from an i3 to an i5 or i7?

Yes, you can upgrade two sticks of RAM to the 2x4GB. Just make sure they are the 204 pin laptop RAM and the same speed as the ones in your iMac. Check the System Profiler to see what the current speed is. It will most likely be 1066 or 1333mhz.

Noto sure about the rest of your questions, possible heat concerns, but I am not certain.

I do a lot of music recording, editing, and I simply want a beastier machine. Thanks for all yor help and suggestions.

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Chances are you aren't using anywhere near the 8GB of RAM you have now (check this in the Activity Monitor application). And doing a processor upgrade is risky plus would have minimal benefit for the cost.

Much better would be to "accessorize". Second monitor, Magic Trackpad, external drive(s), more/better audio gear...

I currently have a July 2010 27inch iMac core i3 3.2Ghz with 8 GB RAM. I have 4 2GB chips installed, my first question is, can I remove 2 of the 4 RAM sticks and replace them with 2 4GB RAM sticks purchased from OWC. Hence I will have 12GB of RAM rather than 8. Will it all work together? I am open to any other suggestions.

Secondly, I am interested in purchasing a core i5 or i7 from amazon that was released the same year as my iMac (the serial numbers match), is it possible to upgrade my iMac from an i3 to an i5 or i7?

I do a lot of music recording, editing, and I simply want a beastier machine. Thanks for all yor help and suggestions.

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I believe ifixit stated that the processors weren't soldered to the logic board like they have been in the past. So you can probably upgrade your own processor but I have yet to find anyone that has tried it.

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